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PlayOwl
A paper collage of a tree on light blue paper: a torn brown trunk with two branches, a bushy top of torn green pieces with red apples, crayon grass and a yellow sun.
The finished project.

Paper craft

Torn-Paper Tree Collage

  • Starter (level 1 of 5)
  • 20 min
  • 7 steps
  • Ages 3–8 (a guide, not a rule)
  • No scissors
  • Uses glue
  • No adult help needed
Start Making Print

Tearing paper is fun and great for little fingers, and torn edges look just like bark and leaves. Tear a trunk and two branches from brown paper, tear green paper into pieces about as big as a cookie, and glue them on to make a bushy tree. Finish with crayon grass, apples and a sun.

Before you start

You need

Decorating (optional): Draw grass, apples, a sun, birds or a swing with crayons. You can also tear red paper for big apples.

No sheet of paper for the background? No brown paper? Color a sheet of printer paper brown with a crayon first, then tear it. Old magazine pages with green pictures make great leaves.

How to place the paper before the first step
Your paper: Put the background sheet in front of you, standing tall. Keep the brown and green paper beside it.
  • Glue: a yellow area marked "glue".

Step by step

Each step shows what to do (left) and how it should look after (right).

  1. Step 1: tear, shown on the paper Do this
    Step 1 result Result
    Step 1 of 7 Tear Tear a long strip from the brown paper for the trunk. Pull slowly, one hand toward you and one away.
  2. Step 2: glue, shown on the paper Do this
    Step 2 result Result
    Step 2 of 7 Glue Rub glue on the back of the trunk and press it on the sheet, standing on the bottom edge.
  3. Step 3: tear, shown on the paper Do this
    Step 3 result Result
    Step 3 of 7 Tear Tear one more thin strip from the brown paper, then tear it in half. These are two branches.
  4. Step 4: glue, shown on the paper Do this
    Step 4 result Result
    Step 4 of 7 Glue Glue the branches to the top of the trunk, one leaning left and one leaning right.
  5. Step 5: tear, shown on the paper Do this
    Step 5 result Result
    Step 5 of 7 Tear Tear the green paper into pieces about as big as a cookie.
  6. Step 6: glue, shown on the paper Do this
    Step 6 result Result
    Step 6 of 7 Glue Glue the green pieces all around the top of the trunk. Let them overlap to make a bushy tree.
  7. Step 7: draw, shown on the paper Do this
    Step 7 result Result
    Step 7 of 7 Draw Draw grass, red apples and a sun with crayons. Your tree is done!
A paper collage of a tree on light blue paper: a torn brown trunk with two branches, a bushy top of torn green pieces with red apples, crayon grass and a yellow sun.

You made it!

Yours may look a little different. That is part of making things by hand.

Print the steps

If something goes wrong

The paper tears in the wrong direction.

Tear slowly with your fingers close together, and turn the paper if it keeps going sideways. Crooked edges still look like bark.

Pieces fall off when the glue dries.

Rub glue all the way to the edges of each piece and press it flat with your palm.

The tree looks thin.

Tear more green pieces and add a second layer on top. Overlap is good.

Helpful hints

  • Big pieces are easier to glue than tiny ones.
  • Put glue on the sheet, then press several pieces on at once.
  • Tear toward yourself for a long, straight strip.

An original PlayOwl project.

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